Alarm Going Off... - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

ebstauffer · 08-17-2010, 06:24 AM

We have a 2008 Highlander Ltd with about 25k miles. Over the past few months the alarm has been going off for no apparent reason. Last night it went off three times even when the car was unlocked. Tonight when my wife gets home (I get to drive the '01 Corolla) I am going to remove the batt from her fob (she has had it happened when away from the home so I dont think it could be my fob) to eliminate a bad fob from the equation. Any other thoughts as to what could be wrong before I make a trip to the dealership?

***summerwind*** · 08-17-2010, 06:47 AM

It is probably a bad hood switch mentioned in the
***READ FIRST*** Common Problems and Solutions sticky

Alarm Going Off

Good luck

skiskien · 08-17-2010, 07:04 AM

see photoos skiskien

ebstauffer · 08-17-2010, 07:43 AM

Yes, I had read the sticky about the hood switch but the alarm goes off even when the car is unlocked. Didn't seem logical that this could be the cause.

***summerwind*** · 08-17-2010, 08:53 AM

There are a lot of things about our Highlanders and Toyota that are not logical

The number 1 thing seems to be Toyota's decision to replace the VVTi oil line hose with another hose instead of the now production solid pipe.

As we are driving a computer on wheels the connection (pardon the pun) between the hood switch and the security system when the car is unlocked lies in the computer code lurking in the darkness of the HL somewhere

ebstauffer · 08-17-2010, 09:33 AM

Fair enough! I will soon be off to the dealership with printed thread in hand!

***summerwind*** · 08-17-2010, 10:28 AM

Let us know if the hood switch was the problem or there is something else we need to be aware of when this condition occurs

adavid · 08-19-2010, 07:21 AM

I had this same problem. There is a good chance that the alarm is going off, and the door is locked, even though you think that it is unlocked. Here is the sequence.

1. You lock the door with the fob.
2. Some time later the alarm starts going off.
3. You approach the vehicle and click a button on the fob to turn off the alarm.
4. You click the unlock button on the fob to make sure the alarm will not go off again and walk away from the vehicle, without ever opening a door.
5. The doors lock and alarm sets itself about a minute later since you unlocked the doors without opening them. This is a safety feature that many cars have.
6. The alarm goes off again and the cycle continues.

Andy
'08 Sport 4WD